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Tom Ford’s Spring 2014 Collection consists of four nail colors and eight lip colors with his original ivory and golden cases that are of a new formula called Lip Color Sheers. I ordered three colors online when it first appeared on Nordstrom.com. And after playing with them for a few days, and seeing the beautiful swatches from the Beauty Look Book, I have made the decision to just order the remaining five colors as well. I rarely go crazy and purchase a whole collection of colors (nail polishes, yes, but lipsticks? no definitely not.) So why did I make such a decision?

That is because I have finally found my favorite lipstick formula!Tom Ford’s limited edition Lip Color Sheers has everything I want from a lipstick. Great pigmentation, natural shiny finish and a deeply moisturizing formula. I have tried Tom Ford’s Lipsticks before, and I do adore them. They are truly and deeply moisturizing, and pigmented. The only thing that makes me hesitant most of time to wear them is the texture. The texture for the Tom Ford Lip Color lipsticks are incredibly creamy, and it’s so creamy that I find the texture too thick. I rarely do a full wear with them, I usually dab the products onto my lips and use my finger to smudge it a little for a thinner texture. The Tom Ford Lip Color Shines are also moisturizing, the colors are sheerer but the texture is still pretty thick with extreme shine. For me, the Lip Color Sheers strikes a perfect balance between the two. It doesn’t have the thick texture from both the Lip Colors and Lip Color Shines, but it’s pigmented like the Lip Colors, has a natural shine as the Lip Color Shines and is still deeply moisturizing. The Lip Color Sheers also stays on my lips very well for at least 3-4 hours without drinking or eating.

The first three colors that I got from the eight are 02 Pink Dune, 04 Summer Fling and 07 Paradiso.02 Pink Dune is a light peachy beige with golden fine shimmers. It is the sheerest of the three I have now and on my lips the colors actually doesn’t really show, instead it has a frosted finish, giving a sort of sun-kissed finish. It definitely reminds me of the summer. It’s not my favorite color, but I love to pair this with 07 Paradiso, or even with any other lipsticks that I own, as it creates a beautiful sheen base for it. Not to mention the moisturizing base it gives.

04 Summer Fling is a light pink with golden shimmer, in certain lightings it gives a slight hint of coral. The pigmentation for this is great. On my own lip color, it performs like a my-lips-but-better shade. This is the one that I use the most the past week.

07 Paradiso is a deep but bright warm pink, almost like a watermelon pink. It’s definitely the most pigmented out of the three I have here, which is expected. It also has the least sheen out of the three.

I absolutely love these on the lips. I cannot imagine why Tom Ford wouldn’t make these permanent. I actually think that Tom Ford may re-release these lipstick as a permanent line some time in the future, because these lipsticks will be so popular!

I got these lipsticks from Nordstrom.com, but some of the shades are already sold out on the site. You can also try Neiman Marcus. If you’re in Hong Kong, and you’re looking for these beauties, the whole collection will be available on 10th February. I heard, however, that they will only have very limited stock for sale!

Out of all the spring collections released this season, I have to choose YSL’s Flower Crush Collection as my favorite. It is a big collection, with items from nail polishes to lipsticks to palettes. It was the moment that I actually saw the collection in store that I realized that I have to make sure that I don’t miss out anything amazing from the collection.

And I ended up pretty much with the whole collection…

Today I want to show you the eyeshadow palette which has to be one of the prettiest items this season. It is this Eye collector Palette called Pivoine Crush Palette. The Pivoine Crush Palette is so beautiful with its packaging, that I have to admit, I purchased this mainly for it. I have never tried YSL’s five color eyeshadow palettes before, and the main reason for that is the swatches that I did in the past. They are just dry and sheer.When I swatched this palette, it felt pretty much the same, but I’m completely sold on the packaging. The colors in the palette may not be something I’d typically use, but it really is pretty nonetheless. I was thinking that if I was going to give YSL’s five color eyeshadow palette a try, this would be the best one to start with. Pivoine Crush Palette‘s packaging design as you may have already seen from the pictures above, is just plain stunning. It’s a crackled design on beautiful feminine pink base. It matches the flower theme of the collection with an edge. For the colors inside, Pivoine Crush has a cool-toned fuchsia with silver shimmer, muted pink with golden shimmer, light sandy champagne shimmer, light peach color with silver shimmer and lastly an eggplant shimmer.

Not to my surprise, this palette performs only decently. The pigmentation as expected is sheer, and is not as creamy as most eyeshadows released by high end brands nowadays. The glitters/shimmers make the eyeshadows feel a little gritty and dry too. I suggest layering on the shadows for a more complex and intense color. Using it with a cream eyeshadow as base, or with a good primer would most certainly help too.

I purchased Pivoine Crush Palette at the YSL Beauty Boutique at Pacific Place in Admiralty, Hong Kong. It’s my favorite place to get YSL products because it’s always much quieter and less crowded than the counters at Lane Crawford or Sogo.

Even though this palette may not be amazing in quality, I will not be surprised at all if this sells out. So do check this out and decide for yourself if you like this before it’s all gone!

Are you a fan of YSL’s five color eyeshadow palette? Have you checked out the collection? What else did you get from the collection?

I love Chanel’s Le Blush Creme de Chanel. The cream blushes from last Fall Collection are most definitely something that I reach for regularly ever since it joined my makeup stash. The colors are beautiful, pigmented and long-lasting. I just adore them. See my review on the previous shades from the Fall 2013 Collection here. So as you might have guessed, I was so excited to know that Chanel will release two new shades for the cream blushes in their Spring 2014 Notes de Printemps Collection, namely 67 Chamade and 69 Intonation. I did not purchase 67 Chamade simply because it’s not limited edition, so I could always go back and purchase it anytime. Now on to Intonation…Intonation is a bright rosy pink with a hint of coral in it. And it shows more coral than pink once applied on the face. Some of my friends have commented that it simply looks too bright in the pan and they don’t even dare try it. First swatches on the back of the hand looked like lipstick swatches to them, which makes them even more afraid to give it a try. It’s a pity since that just shows how amazingly pigmented the blushes are.I suppose since the product is so pigmented, it actually feels very light on the face. You won’t be needing a lot of this cream-to-powder produce to achieve a nice intensity of color.To apply onto the face, you just need to blend it with either your fingers, a sponge or a brush. I like applying products with my fingers since I feel like it’s the most convenient, but I recently purchased Tom Ford’s Cream Foundation brush, and it is probably the best brush to use with this product. It achieves a natural and well blended finish, and it just helps the product set into the skin even more beautifully.The swatches below are done with a heavy hand and also blended with fingers. I will try to add another swatch with the use of the Tom Ford brush soon.

96 Intonation is long-lasting even on my combination/oily skin. It wears very well for at least about 7 hours before I see slight fading. Longevity is very important to me since I rarely do makeup touch ups during the day.

Bottom line is: I have nothing but pure love for this Le Blush Creme de Chanel in 69 Intonation.

I purchased this at the Chanel Beauty Counter at Bergdorf Goodman in December. You can find this at various Chanel beauty counters, or on Nordstrom.com. If you’re in Hong Kong, just head to any Chanel counters and you should be able to find this and give it a try.

Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadows are always what I look forward to the most in their new collections. And this Spring’sNotes de Printemps Collection Chanel released two beautiful Illusion d’Ombres: 92 Diapason and 93 Impulsion. During my first visit to the counter I only purchased 92 Diapason because 93 Impulsion was a little too sheer for my taste. I did however purchase 93 Impulsion afterwards. 92 Diapason is a deep burgundy purple with an almost duo-chrome effect of blue shimmers on top. The intensity of the blue shimmers changes in different angles.For me the Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadows are always very versatile. I use it as a base for my powder eyeshadows, or sometimes use it alone, or pair it with another eyeshadow. Using it as a base gives the eye look more dimension and also prolong the eye look wear. I’m sure by now you’ll know that I am a big fan of Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadows. And Diapason doesn’t disappoint.On my oily eyelids, Diapason stays on well for about 7 to 8 hours without creasing, after that there’s minor creasing in the inner corners of my lids. The color doesn’t fade either!

The pigmentation for Diapason is excellent as you can see in the swatch above, on the lids the duo chrome effect is not as noticeable as from swatches, but it is still pretty enough in my opinion to justify spending 36 USD for this.

I purchased this at Nordstrom, and have seen this collection in most of the Chanel counters in the States. If you’re in Hong Kong, make your way to any Chanel counters, I myself love going to the Chanel Beauty Boutique in Hysan Place, Causeway Bay.

The only face product I got from Dior’s Trianon Collection this Spring is this gorgeous Dior Blush. There are a total of two shades released in Dior’s collection (the other is Pink Reverie, a light pink purple), and I chose 763 Corail Bagatelle for its vivid coral pink.This limited edition blush is the blush that I have been using almost every single day this past month. The powder is finely milled and soft, and even though the color is bright and pigmented, you can easily control the intensity of the color as it is buildable. The slanted brush that comes with the blush is a nice brush to carry around for use with the blush, it picks up a good amount of product easily, and I find the slanted angle perfect for application.There are some faint shimmers in the blush but it is not too noticeable, leaving a satin finish. There is just enough luminosity for a radiant finish and that’s one of the reasons why I love this blush so much.If you’re in Hong Kong and you’re looking for this blush, you can find this at all Dior counters. I purchased this at the Dior Backstage Studio in FACEsss at Tsim Sha Tsui.

If you’re in the States, head over to Nordstrom, they’re doing a beauty bag event!

The first and only piece that I purchased from this Holiday Season’s Guerlain Crazy Paris Collection is this Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder. I only made my decision to purchase this when I actually saw the product in person, I didn’t want to purchase yet another bronzer, so I was a little skeptical about this product. But the beautiful mix of pink in this bronzer sealed the deal for me. I see this more as a blush than a bronzer and I am loving every minute wearing this. As usual, Guerlain’s product packaging never disappoint, and this time there’s a lot of gorgeous in the casing of this powder. I also love the weighty feel this compact gives, it feels extremely nice in the hand. The only problem that I have with the packaging is it is slightly difficult to open the lid. Even though there are micro shimmers in the powder, on the skin it looks pretty much matte, and the micro shimmers help with the healthy glowing effect that this bronzer gives.As you can see from the swatch below, it’s a very natural healthy glowing color to add to your face. It’s perfect for people with fair complexion, and if you have darker complexion, this may not be something you’d like. Not only is the color naturally beautiful, the fine, soft and smooth powder makes application just so easy as it blends extremely naturally to the skin. It’s also long-wearing as I get a decent 8 hour wear before seeing slight fading in color.

As long as you have fair complexion, I highly recommend this product. It’s great for every occasion, with the color intensity adjustable by applying more layers. It’s also a good product to try if you find bronzer intimidating (which I did before).

You can find this Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder and other items from this collection at any Guerlain counters, or on online sites, such as Nordstrom.com.

84 Accent is the Joues Contraste Blush from Chanel’s Nuit Infinie de Chanel Collection released this holiday season. I ordered this blush unseen from Nordstrom.com, and I feared that it may look a little too brown at first. But after seeing the blush in real person, the micro-sparkles in this rosy-mauve blush just made me fall in love.Accent is a rosy-mauve shade with beautiful micro sparkles, that although look very visible on the pan, it disappears so naturally on the skin giving you a natural glowy look. The formula of this is very fine and quite pigmented. It’s an easy to wear shade that gives a natural but elegant color to your face.

In the swatch below, the sparkles are quite visible but it is not the case once applied on the cheeks. One thing that the Joues Contraste blushes have always bothered me is the scent. It has a strong fragrance that I can smell once I open the case. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, this product is definitely not for you.

Accent is definitely one of my favorite items from Chanel’s Holiday collection this year! And you’ll find this blush along side with the other Holiday items at Chanel counters in Hong Kong starting from 15th November. I purchased mine at Nordstrom.com, and I’ve already seen the collection in counters here in the States.

827 Initiation is the another shade of Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadow that Chanel released for their Nuit Infinie de Chanel Collection this Holiday season. I ordered this item twice from Nordstrom.com, but both arrived shrunken up. I suppose it’s pretty normal for this formula to shrink up, but I decided to return both and make a purchase at the counter for one in perfect condition.Initiation is beautiful bronzy golden taupe with lovely golden shimmer. Pigmentation for this is not very high, but it is buildable with more layers. I actually like this about Initiation. You can wear it sheerly alone for a beautiful sheen for the eyes, or have more color intensity by layering. As you can see from the swatch, Initiation is sparkly, and it’s just perfect for the holidays!Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadows usually wear very well on my oily lids, and Initiation performs just the same. I get a long wear of 8 hours before there was minor creases in the inner corner of my lids. I love how versatile Fatal (reviewed here) and Initiation are, they can be worn alone with a nice beautiful sheen, or intensified for a sparkly night look. They are also excellent bases for other eyeshadows you have in your stash. I find that powder shadows wear longer with Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadows as a base!

Initiation is available at Nordstrom.com, and I have seen the collection in counters at various department stores, try to stop by and check the collection out!

Chanel released two shades of Illusion d’Ombre for the Nuit Infinie de Chanel Holiday 2013 Collection. I purchased both shades from Nordstrom.com before seeing them in the counters, and 837 Fatal arrived in perfect condition while the other shade, 827 Initiation arrived all shrunken up, so I decided to do an exchange.So today I only have Fatal to show you all.Fatal is a beautiful metallic cranberry burgundy with a hint of purple. The texture is ultra soft and creamy, giving an extremely smooth application. The pigmentation is beautiful, and can be easily controlled as the intensity is buildable. On my oily lids, Fatal only creases a little about after 8 hours of wear, so I’m very happy with it especially when the color is so elegant and subtly sparkly.

I love Fatal and if you’ve always been a fan of Illusion d’Ombres, I see Fatal as a must-have. I have been wearing this daily and loving every minute of it!

This collection may not have hit all counters yet, but they’re already available online on Nordstrom.com.

677 Rouge Rubis is the lone nail polish from Chanel’s Nuit Infinie de Chanel Holiday Collection this year. It’s not just any ordinary red, it’s the perfect red.

It’s a simple classic bright red that any girl should own. It’s gorgeous and classic.The formula is just perfect. It is opaque with just one coat, but I always opt for two. The texture is slightly thinner, and application is a breeze. The glossy finish makes the red even brighter. I don’t think I’ve ever been so obsessed with a red polish. Rouge Rubis is so bright and beautiful that I think it can almost glow in the dark. Rouge Rubis is truly a must-have and I cannot rave about this polish more.

You can now find this polish online at Nordstrom.com. This collection should launch in Hong Kong in November.